


Though She be Little, She is Fierce

by dwarrowdams



Series: Eadgyd, But Not Sad [17]
Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Gen, Goats, Near Death Experiences, but there's blood and someone almost dies, idk maybe T is too high
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-16 00:00:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28821876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dwarrowdams/pseuds/dwarrowdams
Summary: Frida saves Eadgyd in an unconventional way.  Set just a smidge before "Bearhearted."
Series: Eadgyd, But Not Sad [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1877335
Kudos: 1
Collections: All the Eadgyd All the Time





	Though She be Little, She is Fierce

**Author's Note:**

> This is my favorite scene in the whole entire campaign so far, so I absolutely had to write it (which I did via Frida's point of view because Eadgyd was knocked out for the best part).
> 
> Eadgyd does almost die, but she's fine (otherwise this fic wouldn't be in this series and "Bearhearted" wouldn't exist).
> 
> Also, the "little" in the title is in reference to Frida being the youngest sibling because in terms of size, she is not a small woman (not in the "built like a battering ram" way like Eadgyd, but in the "would shop in the plus size section" kind of way). The smallest one is Avina, who would also shop in the plus size section, but is barely five feet tall (to Frida's 5' 10" and Eadgyd's 6').

As she looked at Eadgyd lying on the ground, overtaken by the Viglundings at last, Frida’s first instinct was to panic, but she didn’t have the time for that. If she didn’t act soon, Viglund would kill her sister right before her eyes.

She tore her gaze away from the scene, taking a breath to center herself. She cast her eyes around, remembering what Beorn had taught her about listening to what nature had to tell her. Shortly after her wedding, he had taught her and Eadgyd how to use all of their senses when perceiving the world around them. In the darkness and chaos of battle, Frida could see little, but she could smell the scent of hay nearby and hear the gentle bleats of the goats grazing.

And that was enough.

Viglund smirked, raising his axe to deal the killing blow, so focused on Eadgyd that he failed to notice Frida tossing hay on him and beckoning the goats closer. They came eagerly and began chewing at Viglund’s hair and clothing. He cursed, lowering his axe as he tried to get the creatures off of him. It gave Frida just enough time to drag Eadgyd out of the encampment, trying not to weep when she saw how much blood covered her sister.

Thankfully, Avina waited for them close by. Her face paled when she saw Eadgyd, but she set to work, using the herbs nearby and the supplies that her sisters had brought to heal Eadgyd. She came to a few moments later, smiling when she saw Avina.

“You’re safe,” she murmured.

Avina nodded briskly. “I knew you’d come for me—I knew it,” she said. “Now let’s go before any of us needs more rescuing.”

Frida nodded, helping Eadgyd onto one of the ponies before getting on one herself. The three of them rode quickly, the Viglunding encampment disappearing into the distance.

* * *

They stopped a while later to give the ponies some rest and take sustenance. As soon as the three of them dismounted, Frida sobbed, throwing her arms around both of her sisters. “I thought I was going to lose you both,” she said, burying her face in Avina’s shirt.

“There now,” Avina said, giving Frida an extra tight squeeze. “We’re going to be all right.”

The three sisters stood in an embrace for a while before Eadgyd pulled away, her brow furrowed. “How did you get me out?” she asked. “I thought for sure that would be the end of me.”

“I threw hay on Viglund and the goats ate him,” Frida said, managing a small smile through her tears. “Distracted him for long enough to drag you off.”

Eadgyd laughed heartily for a moment before she stopped, clutching at her ribs. “Father would be so proud,” she said. “I hope that wherever his spirit has gone, it was able to see that.”

“I hope so too,” Avina replied. “He would’ve laughed himself to tears.”

“You’re so much like him, you know,” Eadgyd said. “I know you can scarcely remember him, but the way you find humor in even the darkest moments and the way you talk to Sage and Ediulf and Addy. He used to talk to me and Eadgar just like that: like we held all the secrets of the world and he was privileged to hear us speak.”

Frida hugged Eadgyd again, too overwhelmed to speak. Her memories of her father were faint—a kindly smile behind a golden beard, a gentle voice singing her to sleep, strong arms scooping her away from harm, and a booming laugh that echoed through the house—but she treasured each of those small glimpses dearly. It warmed her heart to know that even though she scarcely remembered him, parts of his character lived on in her.

“I’m going to find us something to eat,” Frida said, giving each of her sisters one final squeeze. “We have honey-cakes and water in the saddle bags, but it’ll do us some good to have berries or mushrooms.”

Avina nodded, opening one of the saddlebags, but before she could search it, Eadgyd spoke in protest.

“Vina, sit,” she said, struggling to stand back up. “You just escaped slavery—I can get our provisions.”

“I might’ve escaped slavery, but you just escaped death,” Avina replied, rummaging through the saddlebags. “Sit back down—Frida and I can handle the food.”

Eadgyd huffed exasperatedly, but sat down.

“Then I’m off!” Frida called over her shoulder. “I won’t be long—promise!”

Thankfully, she was able to keep that promise, for she found a plethora of ripe berries a short walk from the camp. She gathered as many as she could, using her skirt to carry them back to camp while trying not to spill them.

“I brought dessert!” she called as she caught sight of her sisters. “We’ll have to eat it out of my skirt, though.”

At Eadgyd and Avina’s confused look, she sat down beside them, carefully opening her skirt so they could see the berries. Both of them smiled and eagerly took handfuls from Frida’s skirt. She followed suit, unable to keep herself from grinning.

“Why do you look so pleased?” Eadgyd asked.

“Well, you’re both safe with me,” Frida said as she licked the berry juice from her lips. “And we’re all sitting here eating berries from my skirt like we’re children who couldn’t wait until we got home.”

“Heavens, you’re right,” Avina said. “Mother would always ask Eadgyd and I why it took us so long to pick berries. She never knew that we spent nearly as much time eating berries as we did picking them.”

Eadgyd nodded, smiling fondly at the memory. “They taste better right off the bush, though,” she said.

“They certainly do,” Frida said.

The three of them continued to chat as they ate their berries and honey cakes, reminiscing about the adventures—and misadventures—they’d had in their youth. Once the berries were gone and Eadgyd and Frida had drunk enough water to satisfy Avina, the three of them got back onto their ponies and turned homeward.

**Author's Note:**

> I need to write more about the three of them hanging out because I'm always here for sisterly bonding. It's extra fun because Avina is the only sensible one out of them (Eadgyd can pass for sensible, but only because of Trauma).
> 
> Please leave a comment/kudos if you enjoyed!
> 
> Tumblr: dwarrowdams  
> Twitter: @_tenderqueer  
> TikTok: @tenderqueer


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